Storage cabinet drawer assembly



Jan. 3, 1967 D. B. DAWLEY ETAL 3,295,908

STORAGE CABINET DRAWER ASSEMBLY Filed July 21, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 MENTURS DAN\EL a. DAVVLEV E? HOWARD D. FTRUE TR.

THElR ATTORNEY Jan. 3, 1967 D. B. DAWLEIY ETAL 3,295,998

STORAGE CABINET DRAWER ASSEMBLY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 21, 1965 INVENTORS DAN\E.\ a. DAWLEY BY&HOWARD D. F. TRUE TR THEAR ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,2a5,90s STORAGE CABINET DRAWER ASSEMBLY Daniel B. Dawley, Anchorage, and Howard D. F. True, Jr., Fern Creek, Ky., assignors to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Filed July 21, 1965, Ser. No. 473,578 4 Claims. (Cl. 312-303) The present invention relates to storage cabinets such as household refrigerators and is particularly concerned with cabinets including an improved storage drawer assembly comprising a pivoted drawer front or closure member.

In various drawer assemblies, as for example, the relatively heavy storage drawers employed in household refrigerators, it is desirable to provide a tilting drawer front or closure member adapted to provide a lever action for reducing the drawer opening effort. In such assemblies, the drawer front is pivoted to the main frame portion of the drawer along an axis intermediate opposed edge portions of the drawer front and a handle is provided adjacent one of these two edges. When an opening pull is exerted on the handle, the drawer pivots about its connecting axis causing the opposite edge of the drawer to bear against the front of the cabinet and provide a leverage action which reduces the force required for initial movement of the drawer from its recessed position. It is also desirable to provide means to anchor or lock the drawer front in its tilted-position during the time that the drawer is open.

The present invention has as its primary object the provision of a drawer assembly including a tilting or pivoted drawer front and improved releasable latching means for locking the drawer front in its tilted position while the drawer is open.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a storage drawer for a household refrigerator, a drawer structure including a tiltable drawer front or closure member for closing the access opening and means for latching the tilting drawer front in its tilted position, which mechanism is rendered inactive as the drawer is moved to its closed position.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and the features of novelty which characterize the invention will be pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming part of this specification.

In accordance with the illustrated embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a storage cabinet such as a household refrigerator cabinet including a storage compartment having an access opening at the front thereof and a drawer assembly supported in the compartment for movement between a recessed and an access position. The storage drawer assembly comprises a frame including a slide having a slot therein and a drawer front or closure member for closing the access opening which is pivotally mounted on the frame for pivotal movement about a transverse axis intermediate opposite edges thereof between a vertical position in which it seals or closes the access opening and a tilted position. Means for releasably latching the closure member in the tilted position includes a latching element mounted on the closure member in spaced relationship with the transverse axis and a latch portion positioned to enter the slot when the closure member is in its tilted position thereby locking the'closure member in its tilted position relative to the frame. Means for releasing the latch during movement of the drawer assembly towards its recessed position comprises a roller which supports the slide and which engages the lower surface of the latch portion extending through the slot during closing movement of the drawer to lift this portion upwardly through the slot into a position in which it can move horizontally onto an adjacent top surface of the guide as the closure member pivots to its vertical position.

For a better understanding of the invention reference may be had to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view partly in section of a household refrigerator cabinet including the drawer assembly of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view similar to FIGURE l but showing the drawer assembly in its partially opened or access position;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken generally along line 33 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view along line 44 of FIG- URE 3.

Referring to the drawing, there is shown a refrigerator cabinet including a liner 1 forming a storage compartment 2 in the lower portion of the cabinet. The access opening at the front of the storage compartment is closed by means of a closure member in the form of a drawer front 3 overlapping the face portion 4 of the cabinet adjacent the access opening and the space between the drawer front 3 and the adjacent face portion of the cabinet is sealed by means of the usual sealing gasket 5 extending along the peripheral edges of the drawer front 3.

The drawer front 3 is part of a drawer assembly which includes an open frame generally indicated by the numeral 6 and defined by a pair of spaced slides 12 connected together by means of front and rear cross members 7 and 8 for supporting a removable storage basket 9.

The drawer frame 6 is slidably supported within the compartment 2 by means of guide means including opposed channel shaped drawer supports 10 secured to the opposite side walls 11 of the compartment 2 intermediate the top and bottom walls thereof. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, each of the drawer supports 10 are generally of a channel or U-shaped cross-section and the legs thereof extend inwardly from the compartment side walls 11 to form upper and lower track sections or guides 14 and 15. Each of the slides 12 also comprise U-shaped portions disposed between the upper and lower track sections 14 and 15. One or more rollers associated with the slides 12 or the guides 10 facilitate opening and closing of the drawer assembly. More specifically, lower track portions 18 of the slides 12 are partially supported by means of rollers 16, which are mounted on flanges 17 adjacent the front of compartment 2 and which form part of the guide supports 10. A second pair of rollers 19 adjacent the rear ends of the slides 6 between the upper and lower track sections 14 and 15 contact one or the other of these two sections depending upon the position of the drawer relative to the drawer supports 10.

' The drawer front 3, functioning as a closure member for the access opening to the compartment 2, is designed so that its peripheral edges, including its upper edge 21 and its lower edge 22, overlap the face of the cabinet about the periphery of the access opening to the corn partment 2. A handle 23 is secured to the upper edge 21 of the drawer front 3. The drawer front 3 is pivotally connected to the frame 6 or more specifically to brackets 25 aflixed to the forward ends of the slides 12 by pivots 26 for pivotal movement of the drawer front relative to the frame 6 along a transverse axis intermediate the upper and lower edges of the drawer front.

Tilting movement of the drawer front from its normal vertical position to a tilted position is limited by contact with a stop 27 forming a portion of the bracket 25 of a pin 28 carried by thedoor and adapted to engage the stop 27 when the drawer is moved to its tilted position as illustrated in FIGURE 3 of the drawing. By pivotally connecting the drawer front to the frame 6 along a transverse axis intermediate the upper and lower edge portions Patented Jan. 3, 1967 2-1 and 22 of the drawer front, an opening force applied to the handle 23 causes the lower edge portion 22 or more specifically the portion of the gasket adjacent this lower edge portion to bear inwardly against the face of the cabinet and provide a lever action which reduces the opening effort by using the axis of the pivot points 26 as a fulcrum. As soon as the pin 28 engages the stop 27 further tilting of the drawer is prevented and the drawer continues to move to its open or access position in a normal manner.

In accordance with the present invention, means are provided for releasably latching or looking the drawer front in its tilted position illustrated in FIGURE 3 of the drawing during the time that the drawer is in its open or access position. This means comprises a latch member 30 pivotally connected to the drawer front 3 at a point 31 spaced from the axis of pivots 26 and including a latching portion 32 at its free end extending into the space between the upper and lower legs of one of the slide-s 12 in a position such that it normally rides on the upper surface of the lower leg 18.

A slot 37 provide-d in the lower slide leg 18 is so positioned that when the drawer front is moved to its tilted position as illustrated in FIGURE 3 of the drawing, the latching portion 32 is in a position to drop into the slot and thereby lock the drawer front in its tilted position. A spring member 38 having one end secured to the upper leg 34 of the slide member 12 and its free end overlying and engaging the upper surface of the latch element 32 serves to bias the latch member downwardly into its latching position.

Preferably, as is shown in FIGURE 4, the portion 41 of the spring 38 overlying with the latching element portion 32 includes a recess 42 for centering the pivoted latch member relative to the slot 37.

Slot 37 is so positioned relative to the roller 16 that the roller serves to unlatch the latching element 30 and permit the drawer front to return to its vertical position during closing movement of the drawer. More specifically, the slot 37 and the roller 16 are so positioned relative to one another that when the drawer is in its closed position as illustrated in FIGURE 1 of the drawing, the slot 37 is disposed rearwardly of the roller 16 while when the drawer, in moving towards its access position, has reached a point approximately that shown in FIGURE 3 of the drawing, the slot is immediately forward of the roller 16; that is, the slot 37 is forwardly adjacent the roller 16 at approximately the point where the gasket secured to the lower edge portion 22 of the drawer engages or disengages the cabinet during movement of the drawer between its recessed and its access positions. By this arrangement and the positioning of the pivot 31 at a point spaced from the transverse axis as represented by the pivot points 26, the latch portion 32 rides upwardly over the roller 16 and is thus lifted upwardly and out of the slot 37 during closing of the drawer to permit the drawer front to return from its tilted position as illustrated in FIGURE 3 to its vertical position as illustrated in FIG- URE 1 of the drawing. A suitably sloping or inclined surface 39 on the latch portion 32 facilitates release of the latch portion 32 so that it can move completely out of, and forwardly relative to, the slot 37 to a position overlying the top surface of slide leg 18 as the drawer front pivots to its vertical position as illustrated in FIG- URE 1 of the drawing. Thus, when the drawer is in its closed position the latch portion 32 is supported on the leg 35 forwardly of the slot 37. During opening movement of the drawer, the initial tilting action of the drawer front 3 causes the latch element to move rearwardly with reference to the slide 12 into a position in which it can drop into locking position within the slot 37 after the slot 37 has passed over the roller 16.

It will be seen that this latching mechanism for holding the drawer front in its tilted position does not affect the sealing of the drawer front by gasket 5 when the drawer front is in its vertical position since the latching mechanism is completely inactive when the drawer is closed.

While there has been shown and described a particular embodiment of the present invention, it is to be understood that it is not limited thereto and it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A cabinet including a storage compartment having an access opening,

a drawer assembly supported in said compartment for movement between a recessed and an access position,

said assembly comprising a frame including a slide having a slot therein and a closure member for closing said access opening pivotally mounted on said frame for movement about a transverse axis between a vertical and a tilted position,

means for releasably latching said closure member in the tilted position comprising a latch element mounted on said closure member at a point offset from said axis and including a latch portion positioned to enter said slot when said closure member is in the tilted position and means comprising a roller supporting said slide and operable during movement of said drawer assembly towards its recessed position for releasing said latch portion.

2. A cabinet including a storage compartment having an access opening at the front thereof,

a drawer assembly supported in said compartment for movement between a recessed and an access position including a frame comprising opposed slides and a closure member for said opening pivotally mounted on said frame on a transverse axis intermediate the upper and lower edges of said opening for movement between a vertical and a tilted position,

one of said slides including a slot therein,

means for locking said closure member in a tilted position when said drawer assembly is moved to its access position comprising a latch member pivotally mounted on said closure member and including a latch portion supported on said slide when said closure member is in its vertical position and positioned to enter said slot when said closure member is in its tilted position,

guide means for supporting said slides including a means positioned within said compartment for engaging said latch member and raising said latch portion out of said slot during movement of said drawer assembly to its recessed position.

3. A cabinet including a storage compartment having an access opening in the front thereof,

a drawer assembly supported in said compartment for movement between a recessed and an access position including a frame comprising opposed slides and a closure member for said opening pivotally mounted on said frame on a transverse axis intermediate the upper and lower edges of said opening for movement between a vertical and a tilted position,

one of said slides including a slot therein,

means for locking said closure member in a tilted position when said drawer assembly is moved to its access position comprising a latch member pivotally mounted on said closure member and including a latch portion normally supported on said slide and positioned to enter said slot when said closure member is in its tilted position,

guide means for supporting said slides including a roller positioned within said compartment adjacent said slot when said drawer is in its recessed position for disengaging said latch memberelement from said slot as said slot passes over said roller during movement of said drawer assembly to its recessed position.

3,295,908 5 4. A cabinet including a storage compartment having an access opening at the front thereof,

a drawer assembly supported in said compartment for movement between a recessed and an access position including a frame comprising opposed slides and a 5 closure member for said opening pivotally mounted on said frame on a transverse axis intermediate the upper and lower edges of said opening for movement between a vertical and a tilted position.

one of said slides including a slot therein,

means for locking said closure member in a tilted position when said drawer assembly is moved to its access position comprising a latch member pivotally mounted on said closure member at a point offset from said axis and including a latch portion normally supported on the upper surface of said slide and positioned to enter said slot when said closure member is in its tilted position,

spring means biasing said latch portion downwardly,

guide means for supporting said slides including a roller positioned within said compartment adjacent said slot when said drawer is in its recessed position for engaging and raising said latch portion out of said slot as said slot passes over said roller during movement of said drawer assembly to its recessed position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 5/1962 Van Donk et al 312-303 References Cited by the Applicant UNITED STATES PATENTS 8/ 1937 Straubel. 5/1950 Mounce.

CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner.

CHANCELLOR E. HARRIS, Examiner.

20 F. DOMOTOR, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A CABINET INCLUDING A STORAGE COMPARTMENT HAVING AN ACCESS OPENING, A DRAWER ASSEMBLY SUPPORTED IN SAID COMPARTMENT FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN A RECESSED AND AN ACCESS POSITION, SAID ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A FRAME INCLUDING A SLIDE HAVING A SLOT THEREIN AND A CLOSURE MEMBER FOR CLOSING SAID ACCESS OPENING PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME FOR MOVEMENT ABOUT A TRANSVERSE AXIS BETWEEN A VERTICAL AND A TILTED POSITION, MEANS FOR RELEASABLY LATCHING SAID CLOSURE MEMBER IN THE TILTED POSITION COMPRISING A LATCH ELEMENT MOUNTED ON SAID CLOSURE MEMBER AT A POINT OFFSET FROM SAID AXIS AND INCLUDING A LATCH PORTION POSITIONED TO ENTER SAID SLOT WHEN SAID CLOSURE MEMBER IS IN THE TILTED POSITION AND MEANS COMPRISING A ROLLER SUPPORTING SAID SLIDE AND OPERABLE DURING MOVEMENT OF SAID DRAWER ASSEMBLY TOWARDS ITS RECESSED POSITION FOR RELEASING SAID LATCH PORTION. 